Climate debate heats up

Lamar Smith is know for his anti-science stance. His statements lack any scientific validity and it is totally irresponsible of the U-T to publish such rubbish. Some of the facts are that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is causing the earths atmosphere to increase in temperature. This heating is verified by scientific measurements and in compliance with well-verified laws of physics and heat transfer. The overwhelming number of scientists around the world agree that global warming is happening, is man-made and that it will lead to a catastrophic crash of civilization and Mr. Smith’s beloved economy, too.

Lamar Smith must get some hefty contributions from the gas and oil industry, because he is a great mouthpiece to spread their misinformation and confuse the public. The fact is, climate scientists are virtually unanimous that climate change is real, and that our use of fossil fuels is creating it. It’s simple really:

Such nonpolitical entities as the Coast Guard and the U.S. military are already preparing for rising sea levels. And locally, according to a scientific report commissioned by the San Diego Foundation, Mission Beach, Coronado and other parts of San Diego will flood twice daily at high tide by 2050, if we stay on the same course advocated by Lamar Smith.

I hope that San Diegans and others will take heed. To find out what you can do to help, check out www.sandiego350.org. — Jeanne Peterson, San Diego

A true debate cannot be founded on simply tossing in out-of-context facts to make it appear as if science supports one’s talking points.

To put just one of Congressman Smith’s points into its proper context: Global climate includes the oceans; it’s not just the atmosphere. The warming of the atmosphere may have somewhat “held steady” since 1998, but climate scientists now understand where over 93 percent of the excess heat has gone: into the ocean, cycling down into its depths. Because of this warming, the ocean’s ability to moderate Earth’s climate is diminishing. By accepting the excess heat, the ocean is seeking its historic balance with the usually faster-warming atmosphere. Similar pauses in the warming of the atmosphere have occurred before — notably after World War II — only to resume apace. So, the global climate has continued its warming trend, and this, we have long known, is due to ever-increasing CO2. (All of this is verifiable at legitimate climate science sites on the Internet.)

Furthermore, as Smith’s state of Texas has borne witness, the 10 hottest years on record have occurred in these past 15 years. — Bonnie Mosse Funk, La Mesa